Ingesting and Analyzing Documents

Uploading the source RFP and any supporting materials is the first step in turning unstructured text into structured items your team can search, tag, assign, and respond to.

Before You Start

• Create or open the correct Decision Room (type: “RFP Response”)
• Make sure you have the final or most recent versions of all files
• Confirm you have “Editor” or higher permission

Step-by-Step Guide

Step 1: Open Your Decision Room

From the Valent home screen, click “New Decision Room” (or choose an existing one). Select RFP Response as the room type and give it a clear name, e.g., “Dunn Co – IT Services RFP”.

Step 2: Upload Source Files

1. On the Room’s Home tab, click Upload → Source Document
2. Drag-and-drop or browse for your files:
   • PDFs
   • Word documents (.docx)
   • Excel files (.xlsx)
   • ZIP archives containing multiple files
3. Add a short description for each file so teammates know what it is

Step 3: Launch Resource Analysis

Once the upload finishes, click “Analyze Documents”. Valent automatically:

• Converts files to text
• Detects headings, tables, and lists
• Extracts deadlines, instructions, and mandatory requirements
• Creates structured Items (Requirements, Deliverables, SOW tasks, etc.)

Step 4: Monitor Progress

• A progress bar shows the extraction status
• You can navigate away; Valent will notify you when it’s done
• Partial results appear immediately, so you can start reviewing while the rest completes

Step 5: Review Collections

After analysis, Valent groups new Items into Collections:

• All Requirements
• Submission Instructions
• Deliverables
• Deadlines

Use the left-hand panel to jump between Collections and filter by status, priority, or keyword.

Step 6: Refine or Rerun (if needed)

If something looks off (e.g., a requirement split incorrectly):

1. Select the Item
2. Click Edit Source Range to adjust the text captured

Need a fresh pass? Delete the problematic upload and re-run analysis.

Supported File Types

Tips for Best Results

Upload Clean Files

• Use text-based PDFs when possible — scanned images slow down analysis and may need OCR
• Upload the original RFP first — add amendments later, and the system automatically links them
• Keep filenames descriptive — e.g., “RFP_v3_2024-05-08.pdf” helps trace back to the source

Handle Large Files

• Large files (100+ pages) may take several minutes
• You can keep working elsewhere in Valent while analysis runs
• Break very large documents into logical sections if needed

Troubleshooting

Analysis Taking Too Long

• Check file size and complexity
• Scanned documents require OCR and take longer
• Contact support if analysis seems stuck

Missing or Incorrect Extractions

• Review the source document for unusual formatting
• Use Edit Source Range to manually adjust
• Re-upload with a cleaner version if available

What’s Next?

Once documents are ingested and analyzed, move on to Managing Requirements to review and approve the extracted items.